In medical facilities, such as hospital rooms, medical gas outlets are disposed in walls or columns of the rooms. The most typical medical gas outlets are oxygen and vacuum outlets. Each outlet is coupled to a source of the medical gas, such as to a pipe that runs within the walls or columns of the healthcare facility to the medical gas source. In the case of an oxygen outlet, the oxygen outlet is coupled to a source of oxygen. In the case of a vacuum outlet, the vacuum outlet is coupled to a source of vacuum. (Although in the case of vacuum, the outlet is actually an inlet, it is still typically referred to as a vacuum outlet.)
A typical wall mount medical gas outlet has a port, such as a cylinder, into which a quick connect of a gas circuit is plugged. An example of a typical wall mount is a Diamond III Recess Wall Mount available from BeaconMedaes of 13325-A Carowinds Blvd Charlotte, N.C. 28273. The quick connect, which has a hollow passage, connects the gas circuit to the source of medical gas when the quick connect is plugged into the outlet. A gas circuit has various elements depending on the application. For example, if a patient is on oxygen, the oxygen gas circuit may include a patient face mask that is placed over the nose and mouth of the patient. The mask is connected by tubing to the oxygen flow meter that is plugged into an oxygen outlet. The gas circuit may also include valves that appropriately direct the flow of the oxygen and air exhaled by the patient as the patient inhales and exhales, as well as filter(s), regulator(s), etc.
The quick connect of the gas circuit typically includes a grooved end. The gas outlet includes a lock spring, such as in the form of a U-shaped clip spring that clips around the grooved end of the quick connect when the quick connect of the gas regulator or flow meter, etc. is plugged into the outlet. The lock spring locks the quick connect in the outlet and prevents it from being removed from the outlet unless the lock spring is “unlocked.” That is, when the lock spring is a U-shaped clip spring, the legs of the lock spring must be urged apart so that the quick connect can be removed from the outlet. This is typically accomplished by rotating a keying disc of a keying disc assembly that holds the lock spring. The keying disc has one or more cam surfaces or ears that urge the legs of the lock spring apart when the keying disc is rotated, allowing the plug of the gas circuit to be removed from the gas outlet.
Since the typical medical gas outlet is relatively small, the lock spring is also relatively small. For example, the port of a typical medical gas outlet has an inside diameter of 17 mm. If force is applied to the quick connect of the gas circuit transverse to the axis of the quick connect, this force will cause a “lever” action of the quick connect against the lock spring. If the force is high enough, the “lever” action of the quick connect of the gas circuit against the lock spring will deform the lock spring. This will make it more difficult if not impossible to unlock the lock spring. That is, the lock spring may be sufficiently deformed that the keying disc cannot be rotated to unlock it. When this occurs, the gas outlet must be disassembled to both to remove the quick connect of the gas circuit from the gas outlet and to repair the gas outlet.
In many cases, heavier elements of the gas circuit are disposed in close proximity to the quick connect, or may even include the quick connect. Such elements may include an oxygen flow meter, suction regulator, air flow meter or Y connector. (used for dual elements to be connected to one gas outlet). In these cases, the weight of the elements of the gas circuit apply some amount of transverse force to the quick connect of the gas circuit. This may itself eventually deform the lock spring, or make it more likely that the lock spring will be deformed if the gas circuit is inadvertently bumped or force otherwise applied to it.